Bethesda Softworks - Hiring for their next title

While Bethesda Game Studios continues to work on Skyrim, the team is ramping up for their next major release. Visit our job website to find career opportunities for animators, artists, designers, and programmers — including our new programming position focusing on future generation consoles and PCs.
For more on BGS, be sure to follow the team on our newly-created Twitter and Facebook pages.

Ya know, once upon a time, fresh out of school, I dreamed about getting that exact job at Bethesda, I think Morrowind was in the works at the time. Now, it sounds like meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Best of luck to them and anyone who applies but I've been in the rat race long enough now I look at a company the size of Bethesda and can't help but think, "After the glitz wears off it's just another job busting my ass to make some guy that doesn't even know my name richer."

But ignore me, I'm just a bitter (getting) old man who's jealous of their success. Well, that and I'm still mad at them for the Fallout is now a fps shooter thing. Now you damn kids get off my lawn!

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory
Speaking of Fallout… This can't be for #4 as I would hope they are well into production on that already… (he says hesitantly)

Perhaps they need programmers to work on updating the Creation Engine for FO4?

I imagine they have been working on Skyrim DLC for the past month or two, and probably commenced initial development work on FO4 some time last year. Who knows when they would have received the SDKs for the next gen consoles.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
If the latter, they own the two most valuable RPG properties that currently exist - why would they waste effort on someone else's IP?

I've already raised this point before, but they would "waste their effort" because they can make an IP gain a higher profile. Before Bethesda revived the Fallout name with Fallout 3, no one really knew about the Fallout license outside of the "hardcore" RPG fan base, and even then it was largely forgotten by most. So yes, now the Fallout setting is a valuable RPG property, but it sure wasn't what I would call "high profile" before Bethesda's work on Fallout 3 outside of a relatively niche fan base. I'm sure that if they were to attempt the same sort of revival again on a forgotten IP, they could repeat the success that occurred with bringing back the Fallout name.

Yes, but they own Fallout. They do not - as far as I know - own Fading Suns. If they do own it, I stand corrected. If not, while they could raise the profile of any IP, they would have no desire to do so because it isn't a property they control and they could put that effort into their own properties.

Remember, they still only have one primary team. A Fading suns game (or whatever) is one less proven Fallout or Skyrim game that they own.

Originally Posted by Myrkrel
Might it be Fallout Online? After all the trouble they went through to secure the rights back from Interplay I'd be surprised if they weren't ramping that up.

Fading Suns looks like a cool setting though.

Zenimax has a separate studio for MMOs (http://www.zenimaxonline.com/) - I still don't know what they are working on (I don't think anyone does ?). But the art on that site has always looked suspicously Fallout-ish. Although it could just as well be the Rage universe or something else entirely.
But it has been said over and over and over, that Bethesda wants to keep focus on their trademark massive singleplayer games. And considering how successfull they are I don't see them revisit that decisions for the time being. Maybe we'll see a coop option in one of their future games, but not an MMO. I would naturally expect Fallout IV to be next - I could imagine they take up an additional IP at some point down the line to keep things fresh, but currently I would see little reason for that. A Fallout IV would be eagerly anticipated.

Originally Posted by LuckyCarbon
Ya know, once upon a time, fresh out of school, I dreamed about getting that exact job at Bethesda, I think Morrowind was in the works at the time. Now, it sounds like meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Best of luck to them and anyone who applies but I've been in the rat race long enough now I look at a company the size of Bethesda and can't help but think, "After the glitz wears off it's just another job busting my ass to make some guy that doesn't even know my name richer."

But ignore me, I'm just a bitter (getting) old man who's jealous of their success. Well, that and I'm still mad at them for the Fallout is now a fps shooter thing. Now you damn kids get off my lawn!

Well iam below 40, and there for not that old yet , but i think the same way.
fallout turned in a 3d shooter did it for me. or rather didnt do it for me..
When morrowind was in the making, my dream was be there to make it too.

I'm not familiar with Fading Suns, it's sci-fi themed? Sounds like something they might want to pick up. Something sci-fi / fanatasy themed would feel quite refreshing from Bethesda, something with a little less bleak settings than those in FO.

I think it will be the Elder Scrolls 5. Skyrim is by far their most successful game ever so I think it would have caused them to rethink their strategy. Given that it would most likely take 4+ years to build it would make sense they start now.

Originally Posted by bjon045
I think it will be the Elder Scrolls 5. Skyrim is by far their most successful game ever so I think it would have caused them to rethink their strategy. Given that it would most likely take 4+ years to build it would make sense they start now.

I think you meant to suggest TES 6?

Aren't the "next gen" consoles launching in 2013-2014? I imagine FO4 will almost certainly be a next gen title. And as there is only one dev team at BGS, they can really only focus on one major project at a time.

They might have somebody work on concept art or broad strokes planning, but the majority of the team will still be finishing Skyrim DLC and transitioning to commence FO4 in time for release around 2013 or 2014.

Also not very likely the job posting is related to the MMO that Zenimax Online is working on. MMOs don't typically release on consoles, and more importantly, Zenimax Online is an entirely different division from Bethesda Game Studios.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
Were you trying to start the rumour by way of persuading them or is this supposed to be a genuine rumour?

If the latter, they own the two most valuable RPG properties that currently exist - why would they waste effort on someone else's IP?

It was just wishful lying… err thinking.

Originally Posted by vurt
I'm not familiar with Fading Suns, it's sci-fi themed? Sounds like something they might want to pick up. Something sci-fi / fanatasy themed would feel quite refreshing from Bethesda, something with a little less bleak settings than those in FO.

Yeah its a very interesting setting. At first glance it seems to be a dark dystopian mix of fantasy and science fiction as one might see in elements of Dune or Warhammer 40k. Demons are real - or at least real enough - and prowl the darkness between the stars. Psychics exist and faith - heretical, orthodox, and alien alike - has a power of its own that is as undeniable as technology and often less feared. Amidst all this - in a world where the stars have visibly been dimming for more than a millenium - humanity is poised to enter a new renaissance. At the same time apocalyptic portents abound, internal conspiracies seek to thwart any change that would diminish the power they hold, and external threats have their own designs for the worlds in which the new human empire holds sway.

High technology such as terraforming and nanotechnology exists - though much of those secrets were lost in the apocalyptic fever that ran rampant when civilization collapsed at the same time the suns first began to fade. Faith in the Universal Church can have real and physically manifest effects - as can the worship of demons, nature, folkish superstition and even money. While the laws of science work wonders - it seems the immutability of those laws is not what it once was and reality is frighteningly malleable under the force of a strong-enough or significantly unified will. While the machinery of civilization reasserts itself despite the machinations of the same conspiracies which sought to tear it asunder all those years ago, the machinery of creation appears to be falling apart.

So it's a dark dystopian post-dark ages mix of science fiction and fantasy elements with politics, conspiracies, and belief playing large roles alongside technology. At the same time there is optimism and hope there is simultaneously the sinking feeling that strange forces indifferent to mankind's failings and triumphs are running down the last minutes on a much larger clock. The almost universal darkening of the suns makes the kinds of apocalyptic musings which have captivated people through much of our history seem far more serious and far less fanciful than they are today. As the play enters its final act and the stage appears set for the barest possibility of a happy ending, someone or something is turning out the lights.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
Yes, but they own Fallout. They do not - as far as I know - own Fading Suns. If they do own it, I stand corrected. If not, while they could raise the profile of any IP, they would have no desire to do so because it isn't a property they control and they could put that effort into their own properties.

Well to be fair, when Bethesda began development on Fallout 3 they did not owned it and originally just licensed the IP from Interplay. They later bought the whole IP but it shows they're not closed to the idea of building a game on an existing IP if they find it interesting.

(Not that I expect Bethesda Game Studios to have anything but Fallout 4 and TES6 in the works to be honest).